Thill-coupling.



No. 669,505. Patented Mar. l2, [90L 6. CATHAN.

THI'LL COUPLING.

(Application filed June 20, 1900.

2 Shoots-Sheet l.

( n Model.)

-, No. 669,505. Patented Mar.'l2, 19m. p. CATHAN.

T'HILL COUPLING.

iApplication filed June 20, 1900 1 010' Model!) 2 Sheets-Shevat 2'.

llur'rnn STATES CHARLES OATHAN, OF BELOIT, KANSAS.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,505, dated March 12, 1901.

Application filed June 20, 1900. Serial No. 20,994. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

- Beit known that I, CHARLES CATHAN, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Beloit, in the county of Mitchell and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Thill-Coupling, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in thill-couplings.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of thill-couplings and antirattlers, more especially that class employing a sectional bearing and a spring for holding the sections of the bearing firmly against the coupling or thill iron, and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive device which will enable the wear to be fully taken up and in which the movable or adjustable section of the hearing will not be limited in its movement by the other section of the bearing, whereby all liability of the parts rattling is prevented.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a thill-coupling constructed in accordance with this invention, the bearing being closed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, the bearing being open. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, the parts being arranged as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the clip-plate which forms one of the sections of the bearing. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the tongue which forms the upper section of the bearing. Fig. 6 is a detail view of a modified form of tongue. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the connecting-link employed with the tongue shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the coupling or thill iron. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a thill-coupling, illustrating a modification of the invention. Fig. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same. Fig. 11

Fig.

2 by an axle-clip 3 of the ordinary construction and having an enlarged front portion 4, forming one of the sections of the bearing for the coupling or thill iron 5. The rear portion of the clip-plate is provided at its upper face with a recess forming a seat for the axle, and the lower face of the clip-plate is provided with a recess 6, receiving one end ofaspring 7, which holds the upper section or tongue Sin engagemeutwith the thill or couplingiron. The front or bearing portion 4 of the clip-plate is bifurcated at 9 to receive the tongue and is extended vertically and recessed in rear of the upwardly-extended portions to form bearings 10 for the reception of the pivot portion 11 'of the coupling or thill iron 5. The enlarged front portion 4 is substantially hook-shaped, and the sides of the bifurcation are perforated for the reception of a transverse pivot 11, on which the tongue 8 is mounted. The coupling or thill iron is provided with a loop 12, which is placed over the upwardly-extended or hook-shaped front portion or end of the clip-plate, the transverse pivot portion 11 of the coupling or thill iron being arranged in the bearing-recesses 10.

The front or lower end of the tongue is arranged wholly within the bifurcation of the coupling or clip-plate 1, and the lower face of the tongue is provided with a bearing-recess 13, located between its ends and receiving the upper face of the transverse pivot portion 11 of the thill-iron 5. The rear or upper end of the tongue is connected with the spring '7 by a vertically-disposed link 14, which extends through an opening 15 of the front portion 4 of the clip-plate; but the bifurcation may be extended in rear of the bearing-recesses 10 to form the opening. However, by providing the front bifurcation and the rear slot or opening 15 a solid connecting bearing portion 16 is left between the openings for the reception of the pivot of the thill or coupling iron. The rear end of the tongue is adapted to be drawn downward into the rear opening 15, whereby the lower section of the bearing will not affect the automatic adjustment of the upper section or tongue 8, and the spring will constantly take up the wear and effectually prevent the parts from rattling. The tongue is of less width than the front and rear openings of the front portion of the clip-plate, and

it will not contact with the latter and prevent the spring from clamping the pivot of the coupling-iron, as would be the case were the upper section or tongue of the bearing constructed or arranged so that it would abut against the lower section of the hearing.

The front end of the tongue is provided with a depending lug 18, arranged to abut against the solid portion 16 of the lower section of the bearing to limit the forward swing of the tongue and to prevent the latter from swinging downward in front of the clip-plate. The pivot of the thill or coupling iron is provided with a central groove 19, which is engaged by the bearing portion of the tongue and the central solid portion 16 of the clip-plate, the central solid portion of the clipplate being extended above the surfaces of the bearing-recesses to fit into the groove of the pivot port-ion ll of the coupling-iron. By this construction all lateral play or movement of the thill or coupling iron is effectually prevented.

The rear or upper end of the tongue is reduced to form a projecting hook-shaped tenon 20,which extends into a slot 21 of the upper end of the link, and the top wall of the slot 2] is oppositely beveled to provide a tapered portion 22 for engaging the hook-shaped tenon of the tongue. Instead, however, of providing a mortise or opening in the upper end of the link to receive a hook-shaped tenon a tongue 23 may be employed, and the rear end thereof is bifurcated instead of being reduced. The bifurcated rear end 24 of the tongue 23 is adapted to be en aged by an approximately T-shaped upper end 25 of a link 26, the arms or projecting portions of the link 26 being adapted to engage the tongue 23 at the sides of the bifurcation, the rear end of the tongue 23 being of the same general shape as the rear end of the tongue 8.

The lower end of the link, which moves freely through the opening of the front portion of the clip-plate, is provided with a slot or bifurcation 27, forming a forked depending portion in which is fulcrumed an operating-lever 28. The upper portion of the slot or bifurcation of the link 14 is enlarged, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the accompanying drawings, and the lower ends of the sides of the fork are perforated for the receptionof a pivot 29, which fulcrums the lever 28 on the lower end of the link. The shape of the bifurcation or opening forms inwardly-projecting lugs for supporting the lever 28, and the said pivot 29 is located between the ends of the lever, near one end thereof, such end being connected to the adjacent end of the spring 7 by a pivot 30. The-spring 7, which is approximately U shaped, has its upper side secured in the recess 6 of the clip-plate by the rear side of the clip and by a bolt 31,whic'h passes through a perforation of an extended rear portion of the clip-plate. The front end of the lower side of the spring is crimped or bent downward to provide ears or flanges 32 for the reception of the adjacent end of the lever; but only one side of the spring maybe bent downward to provide a single flange or ear to be connected to the lever. The lever is adapted to be swung rearward and upward against the lower face of the lower side of the spring, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, to force the spring upward and draw the link downward, whereby the hinged upper section or tongue of the bearing is firmly held against the pivot portion of the thill or coupling iron. The spring when under tension is adapted to automatically take up the wear of the parts, and it is capable of eifectually preventing the same from rattling, and as the downward movement of the upper section of the hearing is not limited by the lower section the spring will act at all times on the thill or coupling iron when the latter is in the bearings.

The operating-leveris adapted to be swung forward from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that illustrated in Fig. 2 for releasing the upper section of the bearing to permit the thill or coupling iron to be removed from the bearings of the clip-plate, and the thill or coupling iron may be secured to a pair of thills or a pair of shafts or may be connected to a pole or tongue.

In Fig. 9 of the accompanying drawings the clip-plate, the tongue, and the coupling or thill iron are the same as those illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; but the spring 34, which is of the same general shape as the spring 7, has its front end 35 bifurcated and provided at opposite sides of the bifurcation with eyes for the reception of a pivot consisting of rounded lugs or projections 36, extending from opposite sides of a lever 37. The lever 3'7, which is arranged within the slot or bifurcation of the spring, is forked or bifurcated to receive the lower end of the link 38, and the lugs or projections 36 are located at the inner end of the lever, as clearly shown in Fig. 12 of the accompanying drawings. The lower end 39 of the link is reduced to fit within the bifurcation of the lever and is pivoted to thelatter adjacent to the inner end thereof.

A leather packing or sleeve may be arranged on the pivot 11 and within the groove 19 thereof, if desired, and instead of employing the bolt 31 a rivet or other suitable fastening device may be used.

It will be seen that the thill-coupling is exceedingly simple and inexpensive in construction, that it possesses great strength, and that it is capable of efiectually preventing the parts from rattling. It will also be apparent that the device is adapted to be readily secured to an axle by an ordinary axle-clip and that it is adapted to be readily operated to open and close the hearings to engage and release the coupling-iron.

What is claimed is- 1. A device of the class described comprising a bearing-plate provided with opposite bearings and having a slot or open space between the same, a coupling or thill iron hav- IIO ing a pivot arranged 'in the bearing, the tongue pivotally mounted in the slot or open space between the bearings and engaging the pivot of the coupling or thill iron at an intermediate point and arranged to swing into the said open space or slot, whereby it is adapted to firmly engage the said pivot until the same is entirely worn out, a link passing through the slot or space between the bearings and connected at one end with the tongue, a spring located beneath the bearing-plate, and a lever connecting the lower end of the link and the spring, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A device of the class described comprising a plate provided with a front slot or bifurcation, and having a rear opening, said plate being provided with a solid connecting portion 16, and having opposite bearings 10, the solid connecting port-ions being extended above the bearings 10, a coupling-iron having a pivot provided with a groove receiving the connecting portion 16, a tongue fulcruined in the slot or bifurcation and engaging the coupling-iron and adapted to extend downward into the rear opening, a spring, and means for connecting the tongue and the spring, substantially as described.

3. A device of the class described co1npris-.

ing a plate having a front bifurcation and a rear opening, said plate being also provided with bearings and having a solid connecting portion interposed between the front bifurcation and the rear opening, a tongue pivotally mounted in the bifurcation and provided with a lug arranged to engage the solid connecting portion, a link extending through the rear opening and interlocked with the tongue, a spring, and means for connecting the link and the spring, substantially as described.

4. A device of the class described comprising a plate provided with bearings, a tongue pivotally connected with the plate, a link detachably interlocked with the tongue and having a forked lower portion, a lever fulcrumed in the forked lower portion of the link, and a spring having its front end crimped or bent and pivoted to the lever and arranged to swing into the forked portion of the link, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES OATHAN.

Witnesses:

R. W. RICKS, J. F. Some. 

